by Chris Tomlin Christmas and Easter belong together; they are two sides of the same coin. We can’t make sense of Christmas without the Cross, and without Christmas, there is no body to resurrect. Jesus was born for a purpose greater than just the words He spoke. He came to do something. He came to establish His Kingdom by way of a cross and an empty tomb. Jesus Christ was born so that He could be “betrayed with a... Read more
by Peter Leithart Human beings are temporal creatures, but our experience of time isn’t merely of the relentless tick-tock of clock time. Time has quality as well as duration. We can spend an hour waiting for a late bus, or we can spend an hour absorbed in a book or a lively conversation. By the clock, it’s the same time, but our experience is very different. Our experience of duration is very different. Time is always socially shaped. The present... Read more
by Chris Tomlin “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.” The birth of Jesus was so humble and intimate. There was nothing noticeably unusual about him or his parents, nothing that would attract people to Him. (Isaiah 53:2) And yet, all these years later, the significance of His birth is still celebrated around the world. Why? Because Christmas is the story of God taking compassion on His creation... Read more
by Chris Tomlin Christmas is about a gift God has given to His people. Though we might, by force of habit, see this holiday as ordinary, it celebrates the most extraordinary gift ever given anywhere at any time—peace with God. What is this gift “who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping, whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping?” Mary certainly didn’t understand all there was to comprehend when the angel of the Lord first... Read more
by Bethany Weaver He looked old, tired and broken as he sat across the table from me. I felt much the same way. Though my body had not seen the years his had, my spirit was weary to the bone—of him. This was neither the time nor the place for this conversation, here in this diner with strangers only an arm’s length away. Yet I was not surprised. After years of similar moments, my expectations of consideration, manners or politeness... Read more
by Chris Tomlin An amazing transaction took place in that stable in Bethlehem. Our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) Jesus Christ, the “Son of God, love’s pure light,” came to make us heirs to the Kingdom of God. The familiar simplicity of a song like Silent Night invites us to worship with child-like wonder at the kindness and gentleness of God who brought... Read more
by Chris Tomlin “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, Your love has come here to dwell.” The coming of the Messiah, Emmanuel (which means “God with us”) happened in a very special way. The Lord told the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and she shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The savior of the world came as a child, meek and lowly. But the hope he awakens and the peace he restores draws from God’s... Read more
by Chris Tomlin Christ was “born to suffer, born to save, born to raise us from the grave.” The Apostle Paul tells it as a story of humiliation and exaltation. The humiliation looked like this: The Son of God was born in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross. (Phil 2:6-8). But then came the exaltation: God exalted His Son to the highest place and gave Him the name that is... Read more
by Chris Tomlin The Apostle Paul says this world is groaning as in the pains of childbirth as we await our adoption as the children of God. (Romans 8:22-23) When the angels came to announce the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38), Joseph (Matthew 1:18-23), and the shepherds (Luke 2:8-17), they knew the power of the message they bore. The deep longing for peace rising from this broken world was about to be satisfied. The angels came to lowly... Read more
by Chris Tomlin Jesus’s friend John describes the birth of Jesus as a light coming into the world. In Jesus, John says, was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5) John goes on to say that whoever believes in Jesus is given the right to become children of God, which has been the cry of the heart for all humanity since the fall... Read more
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